


Star Wars: Episode VII-- Across the Stars

by FinnReyfitzsimmonsshipper



Series: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Re(y)-write [1]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awesome Phasma, Canon-Typical Violence, Changing POV, Complete rewrite, F/M, Force Ghost Obi-Wan Kenobi, Foreshadowing, Gen, I Made Myself Cry, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I honestly just really love the Jedi, Major Character Injury, Not Canon Compliant, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Or rey-write?, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Slash, Qui-Gon Jinn Cameo, Women Being Awesome, majorly au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-18 12:29:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21660835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FinnReyfitzsimmonsshipper/pseuds/FinnReyfitzsimmonsshipper
Summary: Rey is a scavenger with a heart of gold living on the desolate planet of Jakku. Finn is a stormtrooper with a traumatic past and want to do the right thing. Poe Dameron is the Resistance's top pilot who seeks to give the cause a leg up against the sinister First Order. What happens when their paths cross?
Relationships: BB-8 & Poe Dameron & Finn & Rey, Finn & Han Solo, Finn & Rey (Star Wars), Finn/Rey (Star Wars), Leia Organa & Rey, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Rey, Poe Dameron & Finn, Poe Dameron & Finn & Rey, Poe Dameron & Leia Organa, Poe Dameron & Rey, Rey & Han Solo
Series: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Re(y)-write [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561570
Comments: 53
Kudos: 40





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JTSKYWALKER](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=JTSKYWALKER), [The_Readers_Writer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Readers_Writer/gifts), [Pan_2000](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pan_2000/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The Long Way Home](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6171803) by [fictionfrek101](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionfrek101/pseuds/fictionfrek101). 



> Hey everyone! Welcome to the next big Star Wars project I will be taking on. I hope you guys enjoy this, and if you want, please leave a kudos? Review?

**Rey pov:**  
I watch carefully over my scrap as I clean it, painstakingly eyeing Unkar’s hired thugs across the outpost. It is the blistering afternoon of another day on Jakku; Another half-day gone by without word of my parents returning. 

A few feet away, I watch a mother catch her child just before she falls on the sand. She brushes stray hairs out of her child’s face, and I find myself in need of that same affection-- the warmth of a mother that cares.   
I suppose I did have that similar affection-- a couple that actually cared. But then, one day, they left too. I can’t call them parents, though. 

I am interrupted by a loud shout from one of the slave drivers to “Hurry it Up!”   
Then, suddenly, I rapidly finish scrubbing the scrap to trade it to the most morally corrupt trader in Jakku-- Unkar Plut. 

When I take my scrap to the counter, I involuntarily feel the nerves rise as he preens over the scavenged parts. 

“These are worth... 2 Half-Portions.” He says, with a smug look on his face. 

Still, I contest him, “These were worth 2 Half-Portions each yesterday,” I reply. 

“You’re lucky they’re worth that,” He sneers. Then his thugs are on guard. “So I’d take the deal, unless you need another way to be convinced..” 

I decide not to take the bait, but instead take the Half-Portions offered and walk away. 

Leaving the horrific outpost, I sped away from the Force-forsaken people and beings it holds.   
I reach my AT-AT and I find a strange sight.

A figure clad in lightly colored robes with reddish hair and kind eyes looks at me with a look that can only be described as heartache. 

I notice the faint blue glow around the man. He’s almost translucent at further glance; He must be a ghost.   
“Hello there,” He says, smiling kindly at me. 

I walk closer to him, he seems… comforting. Nevertheless, I keep my guard up and ask, “Who are you?” 

“I am Obi-Wan Kenobi,” He replies, sitting down at the foot of the AT-AT.   
“How are you alive?” I ask.   
Obi-Wan laughs. “Alive is a way of putting it,” He begins, almost wryly. “I’m a manifestation of the Force.”   
I have to bite back a laugh. “I thought the Force was just some mumbo-jumbo the other scrappers jabber on about.”   
Obi-Wan laughs. “The Force is everywhere. It surrounds us, penetrates us, binds us together.. I have it, and I can manifest as a ghost to you as well as other Force Sensitive beings.”   
I snort. “I have the Force,” I look at a distant ship dashing across the sky. “You must have your scavengers crossed.”   
“I know someone Force-Sensitive when I see them,” He replies.   
I raise an eyebrow in suspicion, but decide to humor him. “Well,” I begin, opening the bottom hatch of the The AT-AT. “Are you at least going to come in before you recruit me?”   
Obi-Wan smirks, and motions for me to lead the way. I walk through the hatch of the Empire-Era machine, and turn the lights on, illuminating the space.   
“It’s small,” I begin, using a few precious drops of water to help keep my spinebarrel flower alive. “But it’s home.”   
Obi-Wan smiles and says, “I can tell.” Then his smile turns bittersweet, but not pitying, when he sees all the marks on the left wall.   
“Who are you waiting for?” He says.   
I look at the wall wistfully. “My family,” I reply, making my portion. “They said they were coming back.”   
Obi-Wan smiles with a hint of sadness, and nods.   
“So,” I begin, desperately wanting the subject to change. “How does the Force even work?”   
Obi-Wan smirks. “There’s not an easy answer to that.”   
I go to quip back when I hear a beeping from outside. Walking out of the AT-AT, I see a small BB unit struggling within a net. Looking at Obi-Wan, he merely gives me a half-smile as I attempt to negotiate aggressively with the Teedo.   
I quickly cut the BB unit from the net, ignoring the cursing from the other being.   
The Beebee unit beeps at me, and I quickly shush the droid and spit some words out at the Teedo. He doesn’t escalate the conflict, merely takes his Happabore and leaves, still cursing under his breath.   
I roll my eyes, and the unit beeps at me again. I acknowledge it this time, kneeling down to meet it. “Your antenna’s bent,” I begin, taking it out to straighten it. “Niima Outpost is that way,” I say, gesturing West of me. Obi-Wan moves closer now, stroking his beard. Ignoring him, I continue, “You might be able to hop on a ship and make it back to wherever it is you came from.”   
The droid beeps at me again.   
“Oh, you’re waiting for someone,” I reply, feeling my heart twist for the astromech. “I am too.”   
The droid beeps in a way that can only be described as curiosity.   
“For my family,” I reply, looking at Obi-Wan. “They’ll come back.. one day.”   
The droid who has informed me of its name- Beebee-Ate- beeps at me in doubt. I roll my eyes and begin walking away from the setting sun, with Obi-Wan at my side.   
The droid bleats once again.   
“No!” I exclaim.   
“I wouldn’t burn this bridge yet,” The Jedi warns.   
I stop in my tracks and think on his warning.  
The droid is cute, I think to myself. What’s the worst that could happen?  
Turning around, I motion the Beebee unit along with me. The droid beeps excitedly, and follows me while Obi-Wan chuckles.   
“In the morning you go,” I say sternly, knowing deep down I’m lying to it and me.   
The droid beeps gratefully.   
“You’re welcome.”   
That night, for the first time in years, I don’t sleep alone.   
But little did I know that this particular set of company will open up a galaxy of opportunity… and trouble. 


	2. Ascendant Soldier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout of the raid on Jakku.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again! I hope you guys like this chapter, I lay down a lot of plot threads and fix what I think are some glaring character errors. Once again, I am typing this note during a class... I just love High School. *Sigh* 12 days until I get off. Then, I get to write more... Anywho, I hope y'all enjoy the chapter!

3rd omn.:   
Poe Dameron comes to in a dark interrogation room, with a door carefully guarded by two stormtroopers. The pilot had been there for hours, although it felt to him like forever had passed.   
He is clearly exhausted, tired from both the interrogations and keeping up the facade of a cocky pilot. But when Dameron hears footsteps echoing down the hall, the mask returns.   
Poe stares down Kylo Ren as he stands in front of him, silent at first.   
“Color me shocked,” Ren says, with a smirk in his voice. “No one has been able to get what you did with the map out of you.”   
Poe smirks defiantly. “You might want to rethink your technique.”   
Kylo cocks his head, clearly wanting to respond to the jibe.   
Poe continues talking. “Besides, you really need to add some lighting in here,” He says, silently impressed at his own confidence. “It’s absolutely-”  
Dameron is cut off with a swift backhand. Rendered speechless, Ren takes his chance and channels the Force against the pilot, slowly rifling through his thoughts.   
Poe tries fruitlessly to combat the older man’s attempt at finding the location, his face contorting in pain and effort.   
Then, Ren slams Poe’s skull against the metal head of the interrogation rig. “You’ve hidden it well,” Ren sneers, while Dameron is regaining his breath.   
The fallen Jedi apprentice typically doesn’t resort to old-fashioned tactics, but he is given no choice. He undoes the restraints on Poe, and then snaps the pilot’s wrist. Poe cries out in pain; his wrist has been snapped in two.   
“You sick son of a--” Poe cuts himself off, becoming distracted from the pain.   
Kylo Ren takes this chance to make the pilot’s pain double, and makes the pilot scream while tearing through his thoughts-- And then he finds the map!  
“The droid,” He whispers. “You gave it to a Beebee unit.”   
Poe feels defeat drop in the pit of his stomach. He practically sags against the rig, allowing Kylo to redo the restraints. The dark sider smiles once again, delighted by both his find and the fact that he has successfully broken the best Pilot in the Resistance.   
Poe feels violated as Kylo leaves the room; The older man had torn right through his most cherished thoughts with a chainsaw-- and still found the location of the map. Poe feels as though he has failed the very cause his parents died for.   
However, he doesn’t get very much time to feel sorry for himself; He hears footsteps once again, and instead of gaining a sarcastic persona once again, he merely closes his eyes against the inevitable flooding of light into the dark room.   
Hearing the door close, Poe forces his tired eyes open to see the stormtrooper standing in front of him.   
“Meal time,” He drawls.   
“I’m not hungry,” Poe replies.   
The trooper takes off his helmet, revealing dark eyes and a long, whitish scar extending from the middle of his forehead all the way to his spare bottom lip.   
“Good,” He replies, undoing Poe’s restraints. “Let’s go.”  
Poe smiles, but his demeanor quickly changes. “Wait, why are you doing this?”   
The stormtrooper looks at Poe with earnest. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”   
Poe nods, and the stormtrooper smiles. “Listen,” He begins. “Can you fly a TIE Fighter?”   
Poe looks at the younger man in confusion, and forgets about the pain in his wrist, however briefly. “I can fly anything.”  
The trooper’s eyes shine as he grins from ear to ear. Then he sees the older pilot’s wrist, and his face falls. “Wait,” He begins, anxiety filling his features. “What about your arm?”  
Poe looks down, and then says to him, “Can you give me a piece of your armor? When we get to the TIE, I mean.”   
The younger stormtrooper nods, and then says, “Listen, I can break you out, but first I need to cuff you. We can pretend we’re doing a cell switch, and then make a break for it.”   
Poe smiles roguishly, and replies, “Sounds like a plan.”   
FN-2187 laughs nervously, and then says, “This is really happening.” 

* * *

  
“Ok. Stay calm, Stay Calm,” FN-2187 mutters to himself as he leads Poe down the landing strip.   
“I am calm,” Poe replies coolly.   
“I was talking to myself.”   
“...”  
The unlikely duo finally reach a TIE Fighter parked in the corner and quickly get into it.   
“Do you know how to shoot?” Poe asks while FN-2187 unlocks the cuffs and gives the pilot the wrist bracer from his armour.   
“Blasters I can,” The trooper replies, watching Poe puts on the bracer with a wince.

“Same principle,” Poe says, disconnecting the anchoring cord. “Use the toggle on the left to switch between missiles, cannons, and mag pulse-use the site on the right to aim, triggers to fire!”  
FN-2187 looks at the control panel with wide eyes as Poe takes off.   
The young trooper immediately begins shooting at the now-aggressive Stormtroopers.   
Poe is taking off as fast as he can go, and then the duo are out!   
“Woohoo!” FB-2187 shouts at the top of his lungs. He’s free. Finally.   
“Hey, what’s your name?” Poe asks from the pilot’s seat.   
“FN-2187!” He replies.   
“FN-Whaa?! That’s not a name,” The pilot replies, his wrist now wholly forgotten.   
“It’s the only one they ever gave me!”   
“Well, I’m not calling you that. FN… How do you like Finn?!” Poe asks.   
“Finn… I like it!”   
“Well, my name’s Poe!” The pilot replies, shouting over the buzz of the engine.   
“Good to meet you Poe!”   
“Good to meet you too Finn!!” Poe replies excitedly.   
Then, Poe sees more TIE Fighters on their tail.   
“Finn we got company!!” He yells.   
Finn replies, “I got it!” As he continues shooting, Poe notes that every ship explodes in fire and brimstone.   
Once the ships have stopped attacking, Finn finally gets to relax against the gunner’s seat. “Where are we going?” He asks.   
“Back to Jakku, that’s where!”   
Finn groans and replies, “We can’t go back to Jakku!”   
“Well we need to, my droid is back there,” He replies, careening right against an empty sky. “He’s a Beebee unit, orange and white; One of a kind.”   
“I don’t care what color it is, We’re gonna put massive targets on our backs,” Finn replies, rubbing his face.   
“Well that droid is holding the map to Luke Skywalker, so the Resistance will be a bigger target without it.”   
Finn groans and replies, “You’ve gotta be kidding!”   
Poe shouts, “Definitely not.”  
And then Poe finds the telltale orange blob of Jakku, and against his desire to return to the Resistance, he makes his descent on the desert planet. 

* * *

  
When the two make their landing, one of the wings of the TIE is flaming, Poe’s wrist is swollen, and Finn just wants to strip his armor.   
“You good?” Poe asks, gripping his wrist close to his chest.   
“I think so,” Finn replies, biting the bullet and stripping his armor. “Just sandy. Very very sandy.”   
Poe rolls his eyes, his head pounding for more reasons besides the heat. “Poor baby,” He banters.   
Finn laughs dryly.   
The two continue walking, trying to find civilization. But the two stop short when they see a barren field filled with the dead and warbled remains of the Empire’s glory.   
“We’re getting close to an outpost,” Poe tells Finn.   
Finn nods, and he bites back a remark about being dehydrated.   
Once they reach Niima Outpost, the two of them practically sprint to the puddle of water occupied only by a Happabore. Poe and Finn are silent as they drink, gagging slightly after the first drink, but returning for more.   
Across the sand, Rey is bargaining once again with Jakku’s ultimate dirtbag.   
“Last week, these were worth a quarter portion each,” Rey insists, growing angry.   
“Well they’re practically dirt to me now,” Unkar Plutt replies, peering at Rey. “What about the droid?”   
“What about him?” Rey replies, shuffling in front of the Beebee unit.   
“I’ll give you 60 portions for him,” Plutt says. And then he begins putting packets of portions on the counter, and Rey feels her stomach rumble. The scavenger didn’t have enough food for breakfast, but this could mean she gets three meals a day for months.   
Rey looks at the portions, stacked into a mound on the counter. Then she looks at BB-8. The droid beeps at her, begging not to be given away.   
Then, ignoring the rumbling in her stomach, Rey faces the dealer and replies, “Actually,” She begins, not noticing that Poe is watching intently now. “The droid’s not for sale.”   
Unkar grumbles, and sweeps the portions off of the counter, and Rey takes the single portion proffered in the beginning before Plutt slams the window shut.   
Then, Beebee beeps at her insistently.   
“What?” Rey replies, crouching at the droid’s receptor. Obi-Wan looks across the sand at Poe and Finn.   
“Rey, I think Beebee-Ate has found its master,” Obi-Wan says, looking at Rey.   
Beebee trills in excitement. Then, leaving the duo behind, Beebee rolls across the sand to its waiting master.   
“Beebee-Ate it’s you!” Poe exclaims, rubbing the droid’s dome-shaped head.   
Rey walks across the sand to meet the now trio.   
“Not that I’m sad BB-8 has found its master, but who are you people?” Rey asks, gaze flitting between Poe and Finn. Obi-Wan snorts next to the scavenger.  
“I’m Poe, I’m with the Resistance,” He begins, looking squarely at Rey. “This is Finn, he rescued me.”   
Rey looks at Finn and asks, “Are you with the Resistance as well, Finn?”   
Finn is caught at a crossroads. But he makes the easy decision: to lie.   
“Yeah,” He replies with confidence. “I’m with the Resistance. I am with the Resistance.”   
Poe gives Finn a look, and Obi-Wan smirks from beside Rey. Even the scavenger knows that he is lying. However, she is too amused to call out Finn.   
Then, Rey sees the stormtroopers.   
“Oh no,” Poe begins. His wrist is now numb. “They’re here for Beebee. We have to get off-planet.”   
Rey looks across the terrain and finds the ship parking.   
“Let’s try to leave without being conspicuous,” Poe says. “I’m not trying to get recaptured.”   
And the newly-formed trio begin walking briskly across the sand, but in vain. They are noticed by the troopers, and that’s when they begin running. 


	3. Among the stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The escape from Jakku.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!! This chapter is an action-filled chapter that will show us how our trio really fights together while also continuing the grubbiness of TFA (Or at least I hope it does). I hope you guys enjoy and please leave some constructive criticism in the comments!!

**Rey pov:**

We are running across the sand, against explosions hurled at us by the pursuing troopers. 

“How do we escape?!” Finn yells, trailing behind me. 

“We can in a quad-jumper!” Poe replies, still clutching his wrist tightly. 

“We’ll need another pilot!” Finn shouts, sprinting to get in step with me. As if in coordination, Poe and BB-8 catch up with us as well. 

“We’ve got one!!” I reply, narrowly dodging an explosion. 

“You?!” Finn replies. 

I don’t get time to respond when an explosion knocks me on my back. Finn and Poe stop, and BB-8 stays at my head. I feel liquid flowing down the back of my head, and when I lift my head to feel what it is, I quickly find that it’s blood. 

“Are you okay?” Finn asks, squinting at me. 

“Yeah,” I reply, with more confidence than I have. Finn offers me his hand, which I take and continue running. 

The three of us (and BB-8) sprint before Poe points out a shuttle with a guns at the bottom. 

“What about that one?!” He yells at me. 

“That one’s garbage!” I reply before running towards another ship… which explodes right in front of me. 

“...” 

“The garbage will do!” I yell. 

We run back to the shuttle, and quickly get the doors closed as another explosion rocks the ship.

“Finn, you take the gunner’s position! Poe, I still need a spotter!” I command as Finn quickly takes the spot and Poe sits in the second seat at the control panel. 

“Did you hurt your dominant wrist?” I ask, looking at Poe quickly while starting the shuttle’s engine. 

Poe shakes his head, to which I reply, “Good. Can you get the shields up?” 

Poe nods this time, quickly finding the control. Beebee-Ate trills in worry. 

“Beebee-Ate, hold on!” I yell. 

Beebee bleats in response, unfurling two magnetic jumper cables. I smile at the droids antics as Poe says, “Shields are up! Get us outta here Rey!” 

I quickly fly up, out of the shipyard, but then see TIE Fighters tailing us. 

“Finn! Get your guns ready!! We got a lotta company!” Poe yells. 

Finn aims his gun at the incoming TIEs, trying to shoot but failing. 

“Finn, when are you going to fight back?!” I shout, going high. 

“I’m trying! The gun isn’t going off!!” Finn replies. 

“Finn, try turning off the safety!” Poe says, turning pale briefly as he sees another TIE attack at the sides. 

I hear nothing from Finn for a few minutes, but then I hear a ship exploding. 

“I got one!!” Finn yells in excitement. 

“Keep it coming buddy!” Poe says, turning on the secondary thrusters. 

“Go low,” Finn says, destroying two more TIEs. “It confuses their tracking!” 

Listening to him, I fly into the ship graveyard and go low into the thruster of the Star Destroyer. 

We then get begin getting hit continuously.

“What happened to ‘It confuses their tracking?!’” I yell as I vary my height from low to high. 

“I never said it confuses their urge to randomly shoot!” Finn replies. 

I don’t get to respond as I focus on getting the ship safe and off the planet. 

Finn continues blowing up ships behind us, a mad dash for our safety. Then, an alarm begins to sound; We’ve begun losing our shields. 

“I can fix this!” Poe says, immediately retreating from the copilot’s seat. 

Suddenly, a TIE crashes into our side, causing Poe to cry out in pain.

 _He must’ve landed on his wrist,_ I think to myself as Poe gets back up to solve the problem. 

I hear another explosion before seeing bits of TIE Fighter debris fly in front of the window. 

The alarm persists as Poe tries to find the source.   
“We’re all clear on this end!” Finn yells in excitement. 

I laugh in pure relief; This must be what having allies must be like. 

“I’ve almost,” The alarm goes off as Poe gets a goofy grin on his face. “Got it!” 

I smile and cheer before saying, “Alrighty! Let’s blow this milk stand!”

As soon as I say this, I press the button to send us to hyperspace, away from the force-forsaken planet of Jakku. 

  
  
  



	4. Charting a course

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens after the escape from Jakku.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! This chapter will definitely be shorter than the last one, as this is a consequence/exposition chapter for the next part of the story. I hope you guys enjoy, and please leave some constructive criticism, it makes my day!

Rey pov:

As we jump into hyperspace, I hear BB-8 thud to the floor of the ship, bleating emphatically at Poe and I. Poe rolls his eyes, not without fondness. 

I feel dizzy as I stand up, still dazed from the fight. The adrenaline is coursing through my veins in equal measure; I see Obi-Wan across the way, smiling at me- without sadness this time. I smile back and laugh shakily. 

“We just did that,” I say, exhaling with pent-up nervous energy. 

“You just did that,” Poe corrects. 

I smile, and feel a blush rise to my cheeks. 

Suddenly, Poe hisses in pain as he takes off the bracer. I almost vomit when I see Poe’s red and swollen wrist. It sticks out in a weird place, and the skin is angry red and purple; It’s definitely broken. 

“Yeah, I think so too,” Poe says, smirking at me. 

“Wow. I actually said that out loud,” I reply, laughing with a hint of absurdity. 

Poe chuckles and asks, “That was some flying. Who taught you?” 

I immediately grin and feel the excitement rise as I reply, “I taught myself! I’ve flown some ships before but I’ve never left the planet!” 

Finn comes in at the last part and asks, “You’ve never _left_ Jakku?! You’re an amazing pilot, why didn’t you leave?” 

I take a deep breath and reply, “I’ve been waiting for my family.”

I see Obi-Wan smile sadly from the corner of the room. 

“But can we talk about your shooting, though?! We woulda never left that junkyard without you blowing those TIEs out of the sky,” Poe says, his eyes lighting up. He looks at the two of us in awe. “Not bad for a couple of strays I picked up.” 

I smirk and Finn looks proud of himself. 

“Well,” I reply, looking again at Poe’s wrist. “We strays need to set your wrist, so be careful how you phrase your next words.” 

Poe laughs, looking down. “Yeah, I guess you do.”

“We better do it now, before it gets infected,” Finn says, looking at both of us.

“I’ll set the bone if you do all the precursory stuff,” I tell Finn before going to get the med kit. 

“Do you even know _how_ to set a bone?” Poe asks, looking at me. 

“Yeah. I set my own a couple years back,” I reply, tapping my left leg. “You’ll be fine. ‘Modern intervention’ and all that.” 

Poe smirks, and Finn moves the bracer. I recognize it immediately. 

“I knew it! You aren’t Resistance!” I say, turning to look at Finn. 

Finn looks crestfallen briefly, and opens his mouth to defend himself. 

“Don’t worry about it,” I reply, shaking my head. “All of us in this room knew you were lying.” 

Finn closes his mouth before opening it again. “How did you even know?”  
“Well, for starters, I knew that someone who is with the Resistance wouldn’t repeat it. Twice. In the middle of a crowded outpost,” I deadpan. “Plus, the look Poe gave you was all the evidence I needed.” 

Finn’s mouth drops open before he shakes his head. “I shoulda known that girls from desert planets can cut through bullcrap pretty quickly.” 

I laugh, and then tell Finn, “Well, I’m gonna cut through the bullcrap now. Can you inject the anesthetic and bacta into Poe so I can set his wrist?” 

Finn exhales and replies, “Yeah.” 

I roll my eyes and reply, “That’s what you get for lying.” 

Finn doesn’t respond, as he is concentrating on the task in front of him. 

“Not too bad, Rey,” Obi-Wan says from behind me. 

I smile as Finn finishes the prerequisite. 

“Your turn,” Finn says, standing next to me. 

“Yeah yeah,” I reply, moving next to Poe. 

“So, are you going to do this unexpectedly or count to-- Force!” Poe yells, biting back cursing. 

I grab a splint and bandage before wrapping the wrist. 

“At least it was over quickly,” I supply. Poe quickly laughs mirthfully. 

“Yeah, you didn’t even warn me!” Poe whines. 

“Oh poor baby,” I say with mock sympathy.

Poe rolls his eyes as I step away. 

“So,” Finn says, looking between us. “Where to now?” 

“We need to get BB-8 to the Resistance now, before the First Order takes him for themselves. If we lose him, we lose our best chance.” 

Finn and I silently nod, now understanding the severity of the situation. A beat passes, and Obi-Wan moves next to me. 

"Rey!" 

"Yes," I reply, snapping my head in his direction.

"Chart a course for Mandalore. I need to see a friend." Poe says. 

I nod, and put the coordinates in the navicomputer while the ship is on autopilot. 

"Now, a little forewarning when we get to Mandalore," Poe says, looking between Finn and I. " Don't stare."

"At what?" Finn and I say in unison. 

"Any of it."


	5. Caught in the Burning Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey, Finn, and Poe land on Mandalore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I'm back on my bullcrap with this AU and I owe you guys an apology for the gap between updates. Truth is, life has been busy. For one, it's Christmas. For two, I have a Christmas play to prepare for. And three: I'm about to wrap up the semester on Monday, so I'm tying up loose ends. Plus chores at home, friends, and a whole YouTube channel I'm working on. Anyhow, the bad news is that I'm not updating until next Saturday. At least on this fanfiction. *Sigh* I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and please leave constructive criticism if you want :)

**Rey pov:**

I watch as the shuttle makes its descent on Mandalore with tired eyes. We have been flying for several hours, and I'd kill for a bed, even if it was the floor of this shuttle with Poe's jacket for a pillow. 

"Rey?" Poe asks, climbing into the cockpit. 

"Hm?" I ask, trying to hide the exhaustion in my voice. 

"Do you want some caf?" He asks, offering a small silver cup to me. 

"What is 'caf?'" I ask, looking at him quizzically.

"The nectar of the gods," Obi-Wan says from behind me.

"It's like.. It's a type of drink that helps keep you awake. But it tastes super bitter, so I have to put sweetener in it before I even think of drinking it." 

Obi-Wan snorts from behind me. "Well, he should try Womp-Rat soup if he thinks drinking caf straight is bad." 

"But do you want to try it?" Poe offers the cup to me again. 

I think on it for a minute, and decide that Poe is good, and Poe won't try to drug me the way certain beings did on Jakku. Nodding, I accept the cup and quickly take a sip, coughing. 

"Yep," I reply. "Definitely needs sweetener."

Obi-Wan rolls his eyes while Poe disappears, returning a little bit later with a small jar of sweetener. 

"This must've been a spice-carrying ship," Poe says as I take the jar from him, carefully trying not to break it. "There's everything back there." 

I eyeball how much sweetener the caf needs, stopping once 1/3 of the jar has vanished. 

"So," Poe begins while I take a drink of the caf. "Outside of your name, I don't really know who you are."

"Um," I reply eloquently, coughing against the caf going down. "Who are you?"

Poe gulps down the steaming hot drink with a wince. "Well, I'm originally from Yavin IV. My parents were Rebels-"

"What do you mean 'were?'" I ask, interrupting him. 

Poe smiles sadly and replies, "My mom died a little bit after Luke Skywalker went underground. And my dad died a couple years back.. I had to join the fight." 

I smile sadly, and reach for his hand. He takes it, however briefly, and instead of a charming and tough Resistance fighter, I see the face of a man who has seen too many good people die, and knows that he is about to see so many more. 

"He is a good man," Obi-Wan says behind me. "You want to keep this one around." 

Then, Poe drops my hand, and we see Finn walk into the cockpit. 

"You guys should get some sleep," Finn begins, throwing us a blanket each. "We got a busy day tomorrow." 

Poe and I smirk, but take the blankets anyway. 

"Since you've scouted out the ship, do you know if there's a barracks anywhere?" I ask, turning to Finn.

"There's a Captain's Quarters," Finn replies. "But there's only one bed."

"I'll take the floor," Poe offers. 

Finn shakes his head. "You're hurt, you need the bed." 

"No, you guys did all of the hard work, one of you two should get the bed." Poe says. 

"Why don't all three of us just share the stupid bed?!" I ask, rubbing my temples against an impending headache. 

Poe and Finn go silent. 

"That'll work." Poe replies shortly. 

* * *

That night, I am sandwiched between Poe and Finn. Finn is quietly breathing, curled in on himself. Poe, however, is loudly snoring, his broken wrist propped on his chest. 

However, sleep still evades me.

I lie awake with wide eyes, staring sightlessly at the ceiling of the ship. Then, I abruptly hear Poe stop snoring. Sitting straight up, I see Poe begin to sweat, his brow burrowing as he begins to whimper.

"Not their fault," Poe slurs out, his voice laced with anguish.

"Poe," I begin, trying to wake him gently. "Poe, it's not real."

Poe breathes heavily, and begins writhing around, releasing a feverish string of words I don't comprehend.

Finally, I shake Poe awake, and he comes to with a jolt, swinging wildly at an unseen target until his eyes settle on me.

Taking a deep breath, Poe finger-combs his curly hair out of his eyes. "I'm sorry."

I shake my head, and then whisper, "Meet me in the cockpit."

Poe nods, and I slowly clamber out of bed, the pilot following closely behind me.

"What happened?" I ask once we reach the cockpit. 

"First Order," Poe says. "Defeated Resistance 'cause of me." 

I smile sadly, and reply, "They're not going to be defeated because of you. That's why we're flying across the galaxy... so they won't be defeated." 

"I revealed the location of the map.. they know what to look for." He says brokenly. 

I reach for Poe's good hand and give it a squeeze. "Everything will be fine." 

And then we hear a loud clanging on our door. 


	6. You’re Han Solo?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey, Finn, and Poe meet Han Solo.

**3rd omn.:**

”You’re Han Solo?!” Rey says with barely concealed excitement. 

The older man doesn’t have time to respond before Finn runs into the cargo hold, blaster in hand. 

Chewie roars, and hoists his bowcaster, aiming at Finn. 

“Woah you two! Put the bowcaster down, you big fur ball, and you-“ Han points at Finn, “Put that blaster somewhere else!” 

“Wait- Are you Han Solo?” Finn asks, lowering his blaster.

Han smirks and replies, “Used to be. Now, what’s this I hear about a droid needing to get back to Leia?” 

* * *

“So let me get this straight,” Han begins, taking a sip of caf. “You-Rey?-are a scavenger from the backwater planet Jakku. You saved the droid from a Teedo, and let it follow you home.” 

Rey nods, and replies, “He wanted it for pa-”

”Yeah I know. Wanted him for parts. But then, you found this guy-” Han motions to Finn. “Finn? A reformed stormtrooper, and Poe after you saved the ball yet again from Unkar Plutt- a corrupt junk trader on Jakku. Now, you three are on the run from the First Order, racing against the clock to get the map to the Resistance... and you need my _Falcon_ to do it. Missing anything?” 

Poe, Finn, and Rey shake their heads. 

“Why exactly do you need the _Falcon?”_ Han asks before taking another sip of his caf. 

“Your ship is the fastest ship in the Galaxy!” Rey replies excitedly. 

Poe nods his agreement, taking a bite out of his apple. 

“It ran the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs!” Rey adds quickly. 

Han smiles fondly, taking a liking to the young scavenger. He hums once again, and downs the last of his caf. 

“Well then, let’s go.” He says. 

Finn’s brow furrows a bit before he leans forward on his elbows. “What’s the catch?” 

“Smart kid,” Han replies, smirking. Then, he takes a deep breath and says, “We need to make a quick stop to Naboo first. Got someone I need to see.” 

“Look, Solo-” Finn gets cut off by Han. 

“Did you just call me ‘Solo?’” Han interrupts, raising an eyebrow against confusion. 

“Sorry. Han. Mr. Solo. Look, I don’t know if you know how serious this mission is, but-” Finn gets cut off again. 

“I know how important this is, that’s why we’re going. If you choose to leave with me, that is.” Han replies. 

Poe nods, speaking for Finn this time. “We are definitely coming with you. As long as Beebee-Ate gets to the Resistance, we will follow you to Mustafar.” 

Rey nods in agreement with Poe, as does Finn. 

Han smiles, and replies, “Well then, let’s go.” 


	7. Naboo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio land on Naboo, and Rey and Finn meet Maz Kanata. Then, they meet someone far more sinister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y’all! So this chapter took forever XD! This one is a major transition into the latter part of the story, and I’m really excited about what’s to come with this Rey-write, especially rewriting Episode IX! Yep, I finally watched it. I’m not going to talk spoilers right now, but if you’re willing, you can comment (with a warning!) or message me on Instagram @fryetwinstrash. Anywho, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

3rd omn. pov:

“I didn’t know there was this much green in the whole galaxy,” Rey says, tears in her eyes, a smile across her face. 

Finn, too, has a similar expression on his face, an excitement there that an entire lifetime of reconditioning couldn’t quite stamp out. 

Han tries to keep the heartbreak out of his voice as he says, “It really is beautiful.” 

Rey looks at Han as he lands, the smile still on her face as she asks, “Who do we need to see?” 

“We need to see Maz Kanata,” Han begins, grabbing a blaster from a spare compartment under the  _ Falcon _ . “The owner of a little watering hole not far from the Padmé Amidala memorial.” 

“Padmé Amidala, the Senator who died in childbirth?” Finn asks, standing up. 

Han tosses the former stormtrooper a blaster. “Not bad, kid.” 

Finn smirks and catches it with one hand. 

“What do we need with Maz?” Poe asks, wrist now supported by a makeshift sling made by Chewie. 

“She’s gonna help us with the droid problem,” Han begins, looking at the young trio in front of him. Beebee-Ate rolls up and beeps at the wizened man. “And help us send a transmission to Leia.” 

Poe grins, and replies, “How long has it been since you two talked?” 

Han rolls his eyes. “Just last night, if you must know. Yes, she knows you’re alive.” 

Poe smiles wider and stands up, slightly shorter than the smuggler. 

“Now, Rey and Finn,” Han says, turning to the now-standing duo. “You two need to listen to this carefully-- Don’t stare.” 

“At what?” The two ask, and then look at each other. 

“Any of it,” Han and Poe warn. 

Finn and Rey share an apprehensive look before following Poe and Han out of the  _ Falcon.  _

As soon as Rey steps out of the freighter, she feels the sunshine of Naboo, and sees it reflected off the lake. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Obi-Wan says from Rey’s side. 

Rey turns her head to the ghost and says, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Obi-Wan smiles, and replies, “I had a friend here, sent on protection detail.” 

Rey quirks an eyebrow and asks, “Was this friend Anakin Skywalker?” 

Obi-Wan chuckles. “Indeed.. He was sent to protect Padmè, and wound up marrying her.” 

Rey smiles and says, “And the rest is history.” Then, the scavenger is off, trying to catch up with Finn. 

“She’s a smart one,” Qui-Gonn Jinn suddenly materializes next to Obi-Wan. “Resourceful, independent. It will serve her well.” 

Obi-Wan smirks and asks, “When were you gonna show up?” 

The older man chuffs at his former Padawan, then turns serious as he says, “When I felt the need to warn you.” 

Obi-Wan turns to his Master, worry in his eyes. “Warn me about what?” 

“Something dangerous is coming,” Jinn warns the younger Jedi. “You need to prepare Rey for it… I fear that if she is not warned, it will be more scarring than we know.” 

“I can’t meddle, Master. I am only meant to guide!” Obi-Wan replies. 

“I am not telling you to meddle,” Qui-Gonn says. “I am telling you to  _ warn _ her.” 

Obi-Wan strokes his beard, clearly in an internal debate before he asks, “Warn her about  _ what? _ ” 

“The Jedi Killer,” Qui-Gonn answers soberly. “Kylo Ren. He has slaughtered hundreds, and is seeking the map to Luke Skywalker. He will stop at nothing to get it… I haven’t seen sadism or anger in someone like this since Vader.” 

Obi-Wan stays silent as his Master continues. 

“I am running out of time,” Qui-Gonn says, feeling his presence falter. “This girl is too important to lose… you must warn her. Before it is too late!” 

The younger Jedi nods, and replies, “Understood. May the Force be With You, Master.” 

“And with you, Obi-Wan.” 

And then Qui-Gonn fades, leaving Obi-Wan with nerves in his stomach and a new purpose. 

* * *

Meanwhile, Rey and Finn were about to catch their first glance at one of the most raucous watering holes in the galaxy. 

Han opens the door to the watering hole, and the music coupled with the stench of Corellian Firewhiskey almost makes Rey keel over. She looks over at Finn as she sways on the spot. Finn immediately puts his hand on the small of Rey’s back to steady her, and she feels centered again. Then, a loud and distinct voice from across the watering hole interrupts her moment with Finn. 

“HAN SOLO!” 

Han plasters a grin on his face, fighting embarrassment. “Hi Maz!” 

The woman who walks across the cantina is tiny, with wide, goggled eyes. She has a wizened countenance, and skin pigmented a leathered sunset orange. 

“Where’s my boyfriend?” Maz asks with bright, fond eyes and a wide grin. 

“Chewie’s working on the  _ Falcon _ ,” Han answers with a smirk.

Maz chuckles and says, “I like that Wookie,” Then, she sighs. “Okay, let’s at least find a table before I can find out what you’re wanting.” 

“Who says we’re wanting something?” Poe asks as he follows Maz and Han. 

“It’s you two,” Maz deadpans. “You’re always wanting something desperately when you come to me.” 

Finn and Rey follow behind their compatriots, sharing a look before taking a seat in the booth. Beebee-Ate beeps at Rey. 

“Beebee-Ate, inconspicuous.” Rey says. Beebee rolls under the table while Rey smiles.

“Now,” Maz says when she is settled in the table. “What do you want?” 

“We need to get the ball to Leia.” Han days shortly. 

Maz smiles and says, “And why can’t you do this yourself? 

“Look, this is very time-sensitive, and we need to get this to Leia as soon as possible. You can do that quicker than I can.” Han replies. 

Maz smiles and says, “And how do you know that my transport won’t be intercepted by First Order sympathizers? Or mercenaries?” 

Han shrugs. “It’s faster.” 

Maz shakes her head. “You’ve been running for too long. Taking too long on jobs… you need to go back home.” 

Han is silent for a moment, but Rey gets drawn away from the table before he can respond. Rey is drawn away from the table by a voice, a voice that is all too familiar. 

“No!” 

Rey hears the voice of a little girl as she leaves the table, a little girl that sounds terribly familiar. 

“Come back!!” 

Rey realizes why the voice is familiar— it’s hers. 

And when Rey walks into the basement, seemingly the origin of her disembodied voice, she walks straight into a memory. 

“Noo! Come back!” A younger Rey yells, being held in a vice grip by Unkar Plutt. 

“Quiet girl,” Plutt snarls. 

Tears come out of the little girl’s eyes before the older Rey sways dangerously before falling on the ground— 

And the scene changes. It’s pouring down rain and Rey sees someone with bright yellow eyes and a mask covering most of his face. He has a crackling saber glowing dangerously red— and then he runs a child through with his saber. He glares straight down at Rey, something akin to glee shining in his vitriolic amber gaze. 

Then Rey is sucked into a densely wooded area where she sees the bright yellow eyes staring her down once again and Rey stumbles onto her hands— back into the watering hole’s basement. 

Rey hears someone coming down the stairs two at a time, and immediately runs out, into the cool and dense forest behind the cantina. 

“Rey!” She vaguely hears Maz’s voice call out behind her as she disappears into the lush green forest. Rey only runs faster against the fear and bile rising within her. 

Then, there is a voice that actually stops her. 

“Rey!!” Finn yells from behind her. He holds his hands when Rey points her blaster at him. 

Feeling a dark presence approaching, Rey catches her breath before speaking. 

“Finn. Run. Now,” Rey says, still panting. “Ren’s coming.” 

Finn’s face drops before he asks, “How long?” 

Rey shakes her head and replies, “Not long. I can feel him. He’s coming.” 

Rey then sees TIE Fighters descending on Naboo, and her eyes widen. 

“They’re already here,” Rey says. “Go. Now. Take Beebee and head to the  _ Falcon.  _ I’m going to distract Ren and meet you there.” 

Finn shakes his head. “I’m not leaving without you.” 

“Just go. They want Beebee, so make sure it’s protected before you worry about me.” 

Then, Finn sees a stormtrooper. “Watch out!” Finn yells before shooting the ‘trooper over her shoulder. 

Rey dusts herself off and says, “Thanks.” 

“He’s already here,” Finn whispers, covering his mouth with his hand. 

“Go. Take Beebee-Ate, head to the  _ Falcon _ . I’ll be right behind you.” 

Finn looks at Rey one last time before he runs off, Beebee trailing behind him. 

Watching them leave until they disappear from her view, Rey prepares herself for confronting Kylo Ren. She turns the safety off her blaster, and maneuvers around a maze made out of rocks and trees and shrubs. She feels his presence encroaching upon her— She can feel his anger, anger at being kept from Beebee Ate. Rey also comes to terms with the fact that she will not be able to meet Finn back on the  _ Falcon.  _

_ I am one with the Force,  _ Rey thinks to herself.  _ The Force is with me.  _ She isn’t quite sure where the mantra comes from, but it sounds like a whisper in the back of her mind, distracting her from the growing fear. 

Suddenly, Obi-Wan appears next to the scavenger. “Don’t be afraid,” The Jedi says to her. “These are your first steps.” Obi-Wan disappears before Rey can question what he means. 

Then, she is faced down with the hateful amber eyes of the Jedi Killer. He walks intimidatingly towards Rey, who begins trying to carefully aim to at least injure Ren— but he blocks her blasts with ease, the saber deflecting them to nearby trees. 

Rey tries to feel the Force around her, use it to help her be serene in the face of Ren’s raw fury. However, the feeling alludes her, so she settles for aiming her blasts- and having them deflected. 

After another few minutes of the cat-and-mouse game, Kylo Ren freezes Rey’s blaster bolt in midair, and takes control of her body. He uses the Force to freeze her body in a single moment, trapping every nerve and muscle of her physical being. 

Kylo walks around Rey, perusing his prey. He smirks beneath the mask, realizing Rey is at his mercy. 

Then, he realizes what he wanted her for in the first place. Reaching out, he looks into Rey’s terror-filled eyes and channels the Force to rifle through her thoughts. 

Rey feels tears fall out of her eyes as her face contorts from the pain and effort of trying to resist the Jedi Killer’s invasion of Rey's mind. 

“The map,” he says, the mask’s modulator amplifying his whisper. “You’ve seen it.” 

More tears fall out of Rey’s eyes. She is trapped in every since of the word. Her muscles are painfully seized in a position that is no threat to Ren, and her mind is being rifled and torn through like the ships she scavenged from on Jakku. Rey wants to cry out, to scream, but Ren doesn’t allow her the pleasure. 

Rey remains frozen in place as Kylo physically turns away from her to address a stormtrooper from across the forest. 

“Sir,” The ‘trooper yells. “The droid was spotted going west, with the Traitor! He has been detained, along with the droid! We are awaiting your command!”

“Arrest the traitor  _ only, _ ” Ren begins, turning to Rey for a split second. “And pull the division out. We have what we need.” 

The stormtrooper doesn’t need to be told twice, disappearing moments after Ren delivered the orders. 

Rey looks at the Jedi Killer, meeting his hateful amber gaze. His eyes bore into hers, and Ren smirks once again beneath the mask. 

“My my,” Kylo begins, letting a beat pass. “We have quite a bit to learn about each other, don’t we?” 

And that is the last thing Rey hears before being mercifully sent into unconsciousness by Kylo. 

Across the forest, on the battlefield, Obi-Wan watches as Finn is forcibly taken onto Kylo Ren’s ship, amidst Poe’s loud protests and Beebee Ate’s sad beeping. Then, he sees Kylo Ren carrying an unconscious Rey onto his ship.

Right then, Obi-Wan feels his heart break. 

However, Kylo Ren is delighted with his prey. He disappears into his personal rooms, ignoring the traitor yelling profanities as he begs Rey to wake up. 

And in the Netherworld of the Force, Obi-Wan senses Kylo Ren is planning his most sadistic deed yet. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Starkiller Base

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout of Rey and Finn’s capture. Meanwhile, in the Resistance, Poe and Han plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y’all. This chapter is super serious, and I am attaching two trigger warnings: Torture, and Implied Rape. Be safe lovelies! I would rather you guys not read this chapter than risk your mental health. Anyhow, I hope you guys like this chapter, and please leave constructive criticism in the comments! It absolutely makes my day!

Rey pov: 

When I first wake up, I am unaware of where I am. For a brief moment, I am blissfully unaware. 

And then I hear Kylo Ren’s breathing, amplified by the modulator a few feet away from me. Even in the low lighting, I clearly see his horrid amber gaze. 

I feel my stomach involuntarily tie itself into a knot, and I will it away before asking, “Where am I?” 

I can practically hear Kylo’s smirk when he replies, “You’re my guest.” 

“Where are the others?” 

I hear Ren’s exhale before he says, “I only know the location of the traitor.” 

My stomach drops before I ask, “Where is Finn?” 

Kylo scoffs. “You gave him a name.. Well, _Finn_ is in the next interrogation room.” 

I frown, and feel my heart twist painfully. Finn is here, and it’s my fault. 

“You still want to kill me.” 

I give no response, only swallow thickly. Then, Kylo does the unexpected. He walks over to me, and undoes the restraints. 

“Now, here’s how this will work,” Kylo begins, his amber eyes glowing with sadistic excitement now. “Either you give up the location of Luke Skywalker, or I’ll make you scream until the Traitor gives up Skywalker.” 

“The **traitor** ,” I begin, suddenly having a surge of confidence. “Has a name.” 

Kylo chuckles, “You’re right. FN-2187.” 

Before I can respond, Kylo grabs a blaster from a previously unseen compartment, and fumbles with the settings for a moment before pointing the gun at my right leg. 

“Tell me about the droid,” Kylo says, still pointing the blaster at me. “Or I will find much worse restraints than the ones I freed you from.” 

“He’s a Beebee unit, with a Selenium drive and thermal-” I am cut off by a scream, which I quickly realize is my own once I see the exposed muscle and bone of my leg. 

“The map,” Kylo says menacingly. “Tell me about the map.” 

With an unexpected surge of defiance, I spit in Kylo’s face- well, mask. 

Kylo pauses, letting a beat pass before he wipes the spit off and moves next to me, and I recoil- but there is no where to go as Kylo reaches into my mind, and suddenly I see a night I had pushed into the back of my mind.

I see- no, feel- the slavers on Jakku put their fingers inside me, and I smell the _mijura_ on their breath as they laugh. I try to claw at him, get him off of me, but I’m too small. I begin to whimper, and I swear I’m right there all over again— 

And then I’m fully screaming in the real world, in Kylo Ren’s torture chamber. I still see the memory around me, and yet I hear someone else screaming— I can’t place the screams, they’re not Kylo’s- he is silent, still standing next to me. 

“Get out of my head!” I scream, my hands coming to my head, willing the pain to stop. 

I still hear the screams and cries from the other side of the wall, and then I am able to place them- It’s Finn! 

And, all at once, the excruciatingly painful memory fades as I ask, “What are you doing to him?!” 

Kylo exhales, trying to cover up shock. Then, the mask returns. “He just has to listen. He is in control here. All he has to do is tell us where Luke Skywalker is, and your pain will end.” 

A beat passes between Kylo and I, and I no longer hear Finn. 

“We will never tell,” I reply, with more confidence than I feel. 

Kylo chuffs and replies, “You say that, but I think there is something you should know. I can take whatever I want.” 

I don’t get the chance to respond as Kylo takes the blaster and aims at my arm, burning away the flesh once again. I stifle a scream, only groaning this time. 

“Where is he?” Kylo asks, stalking closer to me. 

“Go to Hell.” 

Kylo then exhales heavily, and produces a new set of restraints before cuffing me and roughly taking me off of the interrogation rig. He then leads me to another half of the unusually large torture chamber. I find a larger, more intimidating rig there, outfitted with complex mechanisms and devices I have never seen before. 

“I take no pleasure in this,” Kylo says as he restrains me on the rig. “Especially since it’s such a simple question.” 

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. 

“But, it seems that you will only respond to more… extreme measures.” Kylo says. 

Suddenly, I feel my stomach drop once again as Kylo disappears from my view. This leaves me facing the complex torture apparatus, my only company being the painful memory Ren brought straight to the forefront of my mind. 

* * *

3rd omn.:

While Rey waits on Kylo Ren's reappearance, Han Solo and Poe Dameron anxiously formulate a plan. 

“And we’re sure that Finn and Rey are on Starkiller Base?” Leia asks, rubbing her temples. 

“Positive,” Poe replies. “Han and I watched Ren take them.” 

Leia sighs, and asks, “Do we at least have the map?”

Han nods, and replies, “Rey made sure to send the ball to us.” 

Leia nods, and looks across the way to Beebee-Ate interacting with Jessika Pava, Poe’s partner in crime. 

“Well, let’s find out where my brother has been brooding all these years,” Leia says. Poe and Han give Leia a look before she says, “Then we’ll make a plan to defeat my son and get Rey and Finn back.

* * *

Rey pov:

“Do you know what _Bavo Six_ is, Scavenger?” Kylo asks, his golden gaze alight with something akin to excitement. 

I stay silent and feel my heart twist. I once heard the name being whispered between two traders on Jakku. The trader who was assumedly a victim of the chemical whispered vividly about the pain. However, Kylo soon has enough of my silence and decided to explain _Bavo Six_ to me himself. 

“ _Bavo Six_ is a chemical that decreases your endorphins-- a single scratch can feel like total agony,” He says, removing the wraps on my immobilised arms. I feel my stomach tie itself into a knot as Kylo’s focus lingers on my outer tunic. I feel myself shaking now, and I am sure it is visible from where Kylo is standing. Then, Kylo stops himself, and merely injects the chemical into one of my bare arms. “Now, where is Luke Skywalker?” 

I stay silent once again, so Kylo walks up to me and reaches out- both physically and with the Force. 

And it is then I realize how true the words of the trader on Jakku were. The _Bavo Six_ amplifies the pain of Ren rifling through my thoughts. This time, Kylo goes slowly through my thoughts, bringing the most painful things to the forefront. 

“You’re so lonely,” Kylo whispers, his voice made more threatening by the mask’s modulator. “So afraid to leave that junkyard.. at night, terrified to shut your eyes yet desperate to sleep.. you imagine an ocean. I see it… I can see the island.” 

Tears fall out of my eyes from the pain. The chemical courses through my veins. Kylo continues raiding my thoughts. 

“And Han Solo,” Kylo says, intensifying the Force of his interrogation. “You feel like he’s the father you never had. I gotta tell you, he would have disappointed you.” 

“Get out of my head!” I say over the lump in my throat. And to my surprise, Kylo retreats. 

“I knew you were too weak to resist everything,” Ren says while setting up a new contraption on the torture rig. “I know you’ve seen the map.. and you’re going to give it to me.” The torture droid injects me with a new chemical and Kylo reaches out again to find the map. 

I feel the pain of Ren’s Force Signature in my mind once again, and the pain is utterly excruciating. 

“This must be setting your skin on fire,” Kylo Ren says. Then, I feel— I feel like my skin is on fire. The pain is at a level that I never knew existed as I scream to let out an inkling of how I feel. I vaguely hear Finn’s cries from the other room now; and then I hear a voice. 

“You are one with the Force,” A deep voice that definitely doesn’t belong to Obi-Wan says. “You _are_ the Force. Use it.” 

And just like that, it’s gone. I try with everything in me to put up a wall. Now, even in the face of the chemicals and pain and scars, I am strong. Ren hits the wall in my mind, repeatedly, and I exhale heavily, now focused on keeping the Jedi Killer out of my mind- away from the map.

“I’m not giving you,” I take a breath against the pain of my skin that feels like it’s on fire, amplified by the _Bavo Six_. “Anything.” 

Kylo drops his assault on my mind and says, “We’ll see.”

I see him disappear from my view, and hear him open and shut a containment unit in the wall. I can feel his presence at my back as he takes off my tunic and tears my shirt. 

I feel a whimper involuntarily escape my lips. Now, my back is exposed to him. Ren then takes off my loose capris, leaving me on my compression shorts. I feel utterly vulnerable. 

“Where is he?” Kylo asks, and I hear the characteristic buzzing of an electric wire. Kylo is preparing to use an electrical whip on me. 

My silence elicits Kylo’s first snap of the whip and I can’t stop the scream that escapes my lips. The electricity pulses through my veins, forcing me into an excruciating seizure.

“You’re too weak to keep resisting,” Kylo says before lashing me again. “Just tell me where he is.” 

I feel the electricity’s amplified pulsing through me, but I grit my teeth against the pain. 

“Rey,” I hear the same, deep voice calm the sandstorm in my mind. “Use the Force. Force your way into his mind.” 

I then feel the thrumming of the Force around me, and I channel it, channel the energy— and I’m in his mind! I feel around for something, anything to capitalize on the momentary lapse of torture. 

“You,” I grit out, some spit escaping my mouth. “You’re afraid… that you will never be as strong as Darth Vader!” 

Kylo drops his whip after turning off the electricity. Sweat glistens on his brow, and I feel the confusion coming off him in waves. He then releases the restraints on the torture rig and takes me out of the force-forsaken room and throws me into the next room. He throws me in the room— right into Finn’s arms. 

He storms out, the door closing behind him. The room is ice cold, and it feels like I’m being stabbed with a million icicles at once. My leg is in excruciating pain, as well as the rest of my body. 

“Did you tell him anything?” I whisper to Finn. 

Finn shakes his head as he moves me to sit down. “How bad did he hurt you?”

“He shot me in the leg, and lashed me with an electrical whip.” I reply. 

Finn is clearly trying to hide his terror when he says, “We have to get out of here.” 

——————————————————-

3rd omn.: 

“I AM GOING LOW!” Han yells to Chewie as he makes a very sloppy attempt at making an inconspicuous entrance on Starkiller Base. 

Chewie only roars again. 

“IF I GO MUCH LOWER WE ARE GONNA EXPLODE!” 

“WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP?!” Poe yells. 

Then, Han finally parks the _Falcon_ in a densely wooded area. 

“We’re here,” Han says with a chuff. “Let’s get the kids and blow this milk stand.” 

————————————————-

Rey pov: 

When the door to the cell reopens, the _Bavo Six_ has finally left my system and my leg has swelled to an angry purple. 

Ren walks through the door and asks, “Comfortable?” 

“Not really,” Finn asks. 

Kylo chuffs, and says, “You’re too weak to last. You’re going to die for a Resistance that doesn’t even care about you.” 

Finn stays silent, and Kylo produces the same blaster that he used to destroy my leg. 

“Where is Luke Skywalker?” Kylo asks. He points the blaster at my arm this time. 

“Don’t tell him anything!” I say with a hoarse voice. 

Kylo chuckles, and then, he does something that terrifies me more than the threat of having muscle and skin tore away from my bones. He pulls me away from Finn and looks at me hungrily. 

“Tell me,” Kylo says, “Or I will take her right here.” 

“Finn, it’s okay,” I tell him as Kylo’s fingers wander all over my body. “Don’t tell him.” 

I feel tears come out of my eyes, and Finn’s eyes shine with unshed tears. 

“Don’t touch her!” Finn yells. He then moves to stand up and take Ren on his own, but Kylo uses the Force to paralyze Finn. 

And Finn is frozen as Kylo forces himself on me. 

3rd omn.:

“Cell blocks are in Hall C,” Poe says as he hoists the bag of explosives higher on his shoulder. “We find them, we find Finn and Rey.” 

“You sure about this?” Han asks. 

“Absolutely. Now, let’s find out where the heck we are.” 

  
  
  



	9. Virago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Han, Poe, and Chewie infiltrate Starkiller Base with two missions in mind: Save Finn and Rey, and destroy the Base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! I know the last chapter was extremely dark (and long), but this is the big one-- I am nearly finished with this chapter in the saga.. I am only planning two more chapters after this to set up the main plot for Ep. VIII and wrap up this story. I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

**Finn pov:**

I hold an unconscious Rey close to me in the freezing cold cell. She is feverishly shivering next to me, and is turning paler by the second from blood loss. I have searched the cell 3 times over for something, anything I could use to stop the bleeding, but there is nothing. 

If Rey and I can't escape soon, she will die in here. 

I take off my shirt and give it to Rey, since my jacket is already wrapped tightly around her leg. Rey's shivering slows, if only slightly, and I feel my worry calm slightly. 

Then, Rey begins to whimper. She is trying to push herself away from me, and when I open my mouth to try to calm her, she cuts me off. 

"Don' touch me," Rey slurs, weakly pushing herself off of me. "No more." 

"Rey," I begin, trying to get her to look at me. "Rey, it's me. It's Finn." 

She opens her eyes to look at me, and then they fill with tears. I can plainly see the regret and underlying fear in her eyes, and she says, "I'm sorry." 

I shake my head. "It's okay. I'm here now, and I'm gonna get us out of here." 

Rey looks at me, shaking still, and asks, "What do you need me to do?" 

* * *

**Poe pov:**

"Remind me again why I thought going undercover was a good idea?" I ask. 

"Because you care about the strays," Han deadpans, shifting uncomfortably in the cuffs. 

"This uniform is so much worse than the flight suits," I complain, adjusting the executioner's uniform. 

"You think Chewie and I _like_ these ridiculous cuffs?" Han replies. 

Chewie roars a reply. 

"So, do you have a plan?" Han asks. 

"Get in, plant the explosives, get Finn and Rey, and leave before this place blows." 

Han chuffs and replies, "Good plan." 

I roll my eyes right as the elevator door slides open. Immediately, I am greeted by patrols of faceless, nameless stormtroopers, keeping patrols over the halls. Mouse droids cluck and glide across the floors, and I try to act nonchalant until I reach a small control room. 

I walk as quickly as I can until we are stopped short by a stormtrooper in reflective, iridescent armor. 

"What are you doing with the prisoners?" 

"Um," I begin eloquently. _Real smooth, Dameron._ "Prisoner transfer. I'm taking these two to cells.. to imprison them." 

Han is clearly trying to resist a chuckle. 

"Follow me," She says. And then she is walking in front of us, leading us to the same control room we were headed towards. The door slides shut, and I am face to face with the cold chromium of Phasma's armor before she yanks off her helmet. 

"YOU'RE Phasma?!" I ask before taking off my helmet.

"It's Mara Jade to you three," Mara says. Her bright green eyes shine with excitement. She has a plan. 

Han laughs in disbelief, and Chewie roars at Mara as she frees them from restraints. 

Mara Jade laughs and says, "It's good to see you too Chewie." 

As soon as Han is free, he says, "Please tell me you have a plan." 

Mara nods and says, "Two of us need to take care of planting the explosives and two of us need to worry about rescuing Finn and Rey." 

"How do you-" Han begins to ask. 

Mara shakes her head. "Don't worry about it," She says. "But Han, I hope you spank your kids because once I tell you what your Spawn did you're going to lose your crap."

Han laughs, and replies, "Should I expect anything less of my spawn?" 

Mara sobers all of a sudden, and then says, "I'm being serious this time, Han. It's pretty bad. If he wasn't my nephew, I would have killed him with no remorse." 

Han's smirk drops, but then he gains resolve as he says, "Well, the longer we waste, the more danger the Strays are in. So let's divide and conquer." 

I nod, and say, "Mara and I will get Finn and Rey. Han, you and Chewie take care of the explosives. If you find Ren, give him a fight." 

Han nods, serious now, and Chewie roars. 

Mara Jade puts her helmet, and she is Phasma once again as she says, "Let's go. Dameron, put the helmet on and come with me. Han, Chewie, don't leave until after Poe and I. Shoot any troopers who seem suspicious and be _careful._ " 

Han nods, and says, "Bring 'em home." 

* * *

**Finn pov:**

I hold Rey after Ren leaves once again. This time, he put a shock collar on her, and forced her into a seizure. My throat is raw from the screaming I did, begging Ren to stop. Rey's wounds on her back have stopped bleeding, finally, and I've had to tie my jacket tightly around her now-broken leg. 

I have ran over an escape plan a million times in my mind, desperate to leave this hellhole. The room is now boiling hot, and Rey is breathing harshly against me. I rub the sweat off of Rey's burning forehead. 

Then, I hear footsteps coming down the hall. Distinctive, heavy footsteps. I hold Rey closer, almost in an embrace. The cell door glides open, and I see the distinct silver armor of Captain Phasma, along with the armor of an executioner. The two step inside the cell, the door closing shut behind them. 

"Sithspit," The distinct voice of Poe says. He takes off his helmet, and tries to keep the sadness and anger out of his eyes. "It's too hot in here." 

"Poe," I say hoarsely. "How did you get-"

"She's not who you think," Poe says, offering me a hand. "But we have to go. Now. The _Falcon_ is waiting." 

Phasma then takes off her helmet. 

"This is Mara Jade Skywalker," Poe says as I take his hand and shift Rey to where I'm holding her bridal style. "Jedi Master and Incredible Spy." 

"How did you.." I trail off, I have too many things to say. "You got rid of so many troopers." 

Phas-Mara Jade-shakes her head. "They're not here. They're safe." 

I nod, and then Poe puts his helmet back on. "Let's go home." 

I follow Poe and Mara Jade out of the cell. They resume their gait, with Poe walking in step with me. He has a blaster trained on me, but the safety is turned on. 

I am getting out of here today. Rey is getting out of here. 

I continue to carry Rey to the rendezvous point, where I see Han and Chewie across the bridge planting the last explosive. Mara, Poe, and I stop on a heightened balcony.

Then, I see the crackling of Kylo Ren's sinister crossguard before I see his hulking form clad solely in black. His robes blow slightly because of the wind from the opened door. 

Han turns to his son, with Chewie close behind him. I watch him put his blaster in his internal jacket pocket and put his open hands at his side. 

"You're going to regret doing that," Kylo says across the bridge. He brings his saber up to shoulder level, swiveling it over his wrist. 

"I don't need a blaster to talk to my son," Han says on the opposite side. 

"Your son," Kylo says, moving up the bridge. "Is gone." 

Han shakes his head. "No one is ever fully gone. Just come home, Ben." 

Kylo then moves up on the bridge, saber fully alight and yells, "Don't call me that name!" And then, by the time I blink Han is holding his stump of a hand against his chest. 

Chewie roars in anguish and shoots Ren in the leg before the Jedi Killer runs him through with the evil, crackling crimson saber. 

"CHEWIE!" Mara Jade yells while taking off the last of her cruel chromium persona. 

This distracts Ren enough so Han can run away from his unhinged, hateful son.

Rey wakes up in my arms and sees Chewie's fallen body on the bridge. She scrambles out of my hold to support herself entirely on the railing, if only to see if it's not true. Seeing that Chewie isn't getting up, I only hear her heart-wrenching cry. 

"Chewie!" She cries, tears streaming down her face. She lets go of the railing and falls on her own weight, screaming in pain this time. 

"Rey," Poe begins, offering her a hand. "Rey, we need to go. Now." 

Rey is still sobbing as she takes Poe's hand. He picks her up easily with his good arm, and Rey clearly tries to hide her distress. 

"Here," I offer, holding my arms out. "Let me take her." 

Poe is reluctant at first, but then he feels Rey shaking against him. He hands her over to me, and Rey calms, if only slightly. We go out into the snowy terrain of Starkiller Base and find Han with a scowl fixed on his face. 

We head immediately towards him, and now Rey is visibly shaking from the cold. She begins breathing heavily against me, and she says, "Don' take me back there." 

I feel my heart shatter, instantly reminded of the cell while Ren had it ice cold. "We're not there anymore," I say, reminding myself as well. 

Rey whimpers, and comes closer to me. 

Han is still clutching his stump of a wrist when he says, "The _Falcon_ ain't far from here. Just inside the tree line. Mara, two things." 

Mara Jade turns her attention towards Han. 

"One: I need you to be my copilot," Han says as Mara nods. "And two, to answer your question, I _do_ spank my children." 

Mara smirks, and then she turns to Poe. "Poe, I'm gonna need your help driving one of the speeders. I'll take the guns." 

Poe nods, and then walks in step with Mara to one of the abandoned speeders. We all climb in at once, and Rey's eyes have drifted shut once again. 

"Finn!" Mara yells at me. 

I jump to her attention, my head snapping in her direction. 

"Keep Rey awake," the Red-headed Jedi yells at me. "We need to be sure the electricity didn't cause permanent damage."

"How can you tell that from keeping her awake?" Poe asks, speeding across the snow. 

"It's what Palpatine used to do to me," Mara Jade replies, setting up the guns. 

Poe is struck silent by this, only going faster towards the tree line. Finally, we make it to the _Falcon_ and Poe lets us all get into the Corellian freighter before he asks, "Everyone ready?" 

I nod, as does Rey. Mara and Han shout the affirmative and prepare the _Falcon_ for takeoff. 

"Alright," Poe says, pressing the trigger on the explosives. "Let's blow this drukking place!" 

And we fly off, right as Starkiller Base implodes on itself. 


	10. Can you hold me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Millenium Falcon lands on Naboo once again, without one of its companions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! I am back once again, this time to begin wrapping up this story and beginning Ep. VIII. I am only planning one more chapter as an epilogue, and then that's it for this chapter of Rey's story. If I'm being quite honest, finishing this story is actually bittersweet. I really loved being able to play in J.J. Abrams's sandbox, and now I'm preparing to make the jump to Rian Johnson's playground. Anyhow, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and whatever is to come.

**Finn pov:**

After the explosion of Starkiller Base, I feel Rey flinch against me. She is still pale as a ghost, and remains silent, not telling of her pain or sorrow that I know is there. 

I see Poe walk back into the common area of the _Falcon_ with a sad smile. "We should be landing on Naboo in a couple hours," He says before sitting next to me. 

I nod, and then Rey shifts in my grip slightly before whimpering in pain. 

"Has Rey had her injuries treated?" Poe asks, running a hand through his hair before hitting a rough spot. 

I shake my head, and reply, "I tried to wrap her leg and back, but that's all I could do." 

Poe bites his lip in equal parts worry and anger before saying, "We need to get her wounds cleaned and at least partially treated or they'll get infected." 

I nod, about to open my mouth to say something before Rey whimpers and shakes her head. 

"No more," She slurs, the exhaustion and pain sinking deep into her. " _Please._ " 

I see Poe's hands begin to shake ever-so-slightly as Rey furrows further into my side. I brush stray hairs out of her face to feel the burning skin there. 

Poe then looks at me as if to say, _"TALK TO HER."_

"Rey," I begin, still looking at Poe. "Poe's not like him. He's good; Poe just wants to help." 

Rey shakes her head, and says, "No more." 

I have to resist the urge to cry now as I say, "He's just going to clean and wrap your wounds so you'll be okay until we can get back to the Resistance." 

Out of the corner of my eye, I see someone surrounded and permeated by a blue glow with hazel eyes and a sad smile. He is carefully watching the interaction, and I feel like he is vaguely familiar. He remains quiet, only observing. 

I shift my focus away from the spirit and back onto Rey as Mara Jade walks into the common area. She looks between Poe and I, and then sees Rey burrowed into my side. A knowing, but sad look comes onto her face as Poe gives her a look. Mara needs no words as she moves into the booth next to Rey. 

"Rey?" She asks. 

Rey stays quiet, but gives Mara Jade her attention. 

"Rey, which injury hurts the worst?" Mara Jade asks, almost as if she is addressing a scared baby animal. 

Rey unfurls from my side slightly and says, "Leg." 

The grey Jedi nods and asks, "Can I see it?" 

“No drugs,” Rey says as Mara helps her bring her leg up. She leans against me, still shaking like a leaf. 

"That's right. I won't use any drugs," Mara promises before reaching for the med-kit in the _Falcon._ "I just need to use some Bacta to keep your leg from becoming infected." 

Rey nods when Mara Jade holds up the antiseptic, and winces when she shifts, aggravating the wounds her her back. Rey bites her lip as Mara cleans the angry skin around Rey's leg, clearly biting back a scream. Then, Mara's focus shifts to the broken bone before the Spy looks at Rey once again. 

"I need to set it," Mara says. "I can use the Force to heal the rest of the leg, if you're okay with that." 

Rey shifts slightly before nodding. "No more drugs." 

Mara Jade nods, and then doesn't give Rey warning before she sets the leg back in place, eliciting a scream from Rey. 

"I know," I whisper to Rey, rubbing her arm. "It's almost over." 

Rey whimpers and nods against me, and I feel my heart shatter all over again. 

Mara Jade holds her hand over the Leg and uses the Force to heal the wound before wrapping the leg. "Now," She continues, looking at Rey. "Have the wounds on your back been cleaned?" 

Rey goes pale, but shakes her head. 

Mara Jade has a sad look in her eyes as she asks, "Can I see them?" 

Rey is clearly debating the option, and I so desperately want to tell Rey, _"It's okay. I'm here. I won't judge them."_ But I can't. I wish I could heal her just by being here, but I can't. All I can do is hold her. 

"We can go into Han's quarters if that'll help," Mara Jade offers. "Bound to be more comfortable than the Dejarik table." 

Rey nods. 

I see the ghost once again, and he says, "Perhaps I could be of assistance?" 

Rey's head snaps in the direction of the voice, and then she says, "Obi-Wan?" 

Obi-Wan smiles at Rey before placing his hand on her head. 

"You guys can see him too?" I ask. 

Mara Jade looks at me. "You have the Force too..." 

I become confused for a minute before shaking my head and returning to the topic at hand. 

"You said you could help Rey?" I ask, looking at the Ghost directly. 

Obi-Wan nods. "I could heal her." 

"I can do that," Mara Jade deadpans. "What makes yours so different?"

"You heal at the cost of your own life Force. I draw off the Living Force." Obi-Wan replies. 

This makes the Grey Jedi go silent for a beat. 

"Well let's do it then," I say. 

Obi-Wan smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Can you hold her still please? I need to be sure the wounds heal properly." 

I nod before Mara Jade and I switch spots. I am now sitting on Rey's opposite side, and before I can even ask, Rey is in my arms. I hold her tightly, and I can feel her distress and pain coming off her in droves. I cradle her head as I feel her tears drip onto my shirt.

Obi-Wan remains silent, and Mara Jade focuses on the wounds closing. Rey is whimpering now, from exhaustion or pain I can't tell.

"I'm right here," I whisper to Rey, holding her close. "I won't leave you."

Then, Mara clears her throat and says, "The wounds are closed. You can let her go if you want."

I nod, acknowledging her words, but I don't let Rey go. I wish I could just hold her forever, and love away her pain. Rey is shaking once again, and I just rub her back softly, trying not to disturb her. 

"Don't leave," Rey whispers, her eyes drooping. "Stay." 

I feel my heart break even more, but I can't think of anything to say. 

"I'll leave you two alone," Mara Jade whispers before she quietly gets up and walks away. 

There is silence between Rey and I as I shift her into my lap. Poe walks back in, wringing his hands in poorly-concealed worry. 

"The _Falcon's_ on autopilot," Poe begins, sitting next to me. "We should land in a couple of hours." 

I nod, and then see Rey fight to keep her eyes open. 

"It's okay," I whisper to Rey. "I'm right here. You can rest." 

Rey nods, and then her eyes flutter shut. I rub her back until her shallow breathing evens out. I can sense Poe's regret in the Force, and all I want is to will it away. 

"How is she holding up?" Poe asks. 

I shrug and shake my head before saying, "I honestly don't know. She's barely said anything coherent since we got on this ship." 

Poe huffs before asking, "What did he do to her?" 

"I have no idea what all he did before he put her in the cell with me, but I was forced to listen to the results," I say, resisting the urge to shudder at the memory. 

Poe puts his hand on my shoulder, and I turn my head to look at him. "What did you hear?" 

I feel my heart beating out of control as a I swallow a lump in my throat. "He split us up... I had to listen to Rey scream for over four hours." 

I can feel Poe's heartbreak in the Force, and he pulls me into a haphazard embrace, careful of Rey. I feel tears drip out of my eyes, onto Poe's flight-suit. 

"It gets worse," I whisper, feeling the nerves build in my stomach. I am trying to find a way to phrase my next words, but it's just impossible. I am wanting desperately to melt into the floor, make Poe forget about my problem, which wasn't even my problem necessarily--and then I hear Poe break my silence. 

"It's okay," Poe says, rubbing my back. "Was it something that happened to Rey?" 

I nod, and this time I can't hold back the tears. "I couldn't protect her." 

Poe nods, and then says, "It's not your fault." 

I nod, but I'm having a hard time accepting it as the truth. He doesn't even know what happened fully. I could have protected Rey, but I didn't. I just did what Kylo said. I watched as Ren took her. And now, Rey will never be the same. 

"Do you want me to stay?" Poe asks. 

I nod, not trusting my voice. "Just until we reach Naboo." 

Poe smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Get some rest, buddy." 

* * *

Rey wakes up as we reach Naboo. She whimpers a bit, and curls into my side. I smile sadly, and rub her back. 

"Hey sunshine," I whisper. 

" _MmMnn.._ Are we on Naboo?" 

"Yeah," I reply, looping an arm under her knees. "We've just landed on the Resistance base. They want to help us." 

Rey's face contorts in distress. "No more," She says, her eyes filling with tears. 

"I promise I'll be right here the whole time," I say in a way that I hope is reassuring. 

"What if they don't let you?" Rey asks. 

"They'd have to fight me to keep me away," I say, walking through the hall to get to the door. 

Rey nods, and then asks, "Can you put me down?" 

I nod, and then she leans heavily against me to limp out of the _Falcon._ When we step out, I go with Rey as she is escorted to medical, and I thank whatever deity exists that they let me stay. I hold Rey's hand as the med droid runs diagnostics, and everything goes smoothly until Doctor Kalonia wants to give her IV Fluids for malnutrition.

"No more drugs," Rey says, shaking her head. "Please no more." 

Kalonia takes a deep breath--I can feel the sadness permeating off of her--before she says, "These won't hurt you Rey. They're only meant to help, I promise." 

Rey shakes her head again, and her eyes fill up with tears. "I can't do it." 

"Rey," I begin, making her look at me. "She won't hurt you. You need these to get better.. I promise, I'm right here, and I won't let her hurt you." 

Tears drip out of Rey's eyes as she says, "What if she's like him?" 

I shake my head. "Doctor Kalonia is good. She is just trying to help. I promise, I am right here." 

Rey nods, and then she looks at Doctor Kalonia before nodding. 

"Thank you, Rey," She says before setting up the IV. Rey holds my hand so hard she almost breaks it, and I can feel the waves of _Pain-Hurt-Sadness_ pelting against my mind in waves. Doctor Kalonia leaves, and Rey and I are alone. 

"Can you hold me?" Rey asks, scooting over on the bed. 

I nod before clambering in next to her and simply cradling her for what feels like forever. She lays her head on my shoulder, and I feel the tears drip out of her eyes. 

"I'm sorry," Rey whispers brokenly. "I'm so sorry." 

"You have nothing to apologize for," I reply, rubbing her arm soothingly. "You are so strong." 

"I don't feel like it," Rey replies. "I don't feel strong at all." 

"You were strong enough to survive," I reply. "You've survived for so long." 

Rey shakes her head. "I just want my Mama." 

I feel my heart shatter before I say, "Rey... I know. Some days, I do too. But you know what?" 

Rey hums acknowledgement. 

"You are not what happened to you. You are what you choose to become. And I'll be right here every step of the way." 

I try to send waves of _Love-Safe-Comfort_ to Rey, which she takes in until she falls into a merciful sleep. 


	11. Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One chapter ends, a new one begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. So this is it. I have finally gotten to the end of Rey's first chapter, and I've gotta say it's been fun. I've loved playing in JJ Abrams's playground, even if just for a little bit. But I have to say, I'm gonna miss his park as I go to Rian Johnson's. Even as I am typing this note while watching, you guessed it, Return of the Jedi, I am still partially in denial. This fanfiction has provided an anchor that has kept me sane through losing my writing schedule, applying for scholarships, dealing with more of the challenges that come with Senior Year... And now I'm moving on. So I am ending this chapter the best way I know how- Not as a goodbye, but as a See you Later. I am going to upload another couple of one-shots before going into Episode VIII, so keep your eyes out for that! Anywho, I've procrastinated long enough. I hope you guys enjoy this, and I hope you all know that you make me proud every day.

**Rey pov:**

I am in the medbay for three days before I am released. Finn and Poe have stayed with me almost the entire time, and I am so beyond grateful, even if only a little guilty. 

Since I have been in the medbay, I know three things for sure about the Resistance. One: Everyone is nice. It's almost-no, it's definitely weird how nice everyone is. Two: The Resistance has actual refreshers with tons of water. Three: I don't have to scavenge for food anymore. Or medical care. Or anything. 

I walk with Leia around the base as we oversee everything for the new base. 

"Where are we going?" I ask, heavily relying on my staff to help me walk. 

Leia smiles and looks up at me before saying, "We're headed to Bespin. Home of Lando Calrissian." 

My eyes widen at this. "Lando Calrissian, the Rebellion General?" 

Leia chuckles and nods. "Yep. I contacted him and he is willing to allow us to stay in exchange for defense." 

"Awesome," I breathe out. "What do you need me to do?" 

"You and Poe are taking the _Falcon_ to Bespin," Leia begins. "The rest of the fleet will follow while Han, Mara Jade, and I go and get my over-dramatic brother." 

I laugh, and then say, "Does Lando know to expect us?" 

Leia nods, and then she turns serious. "Rey."

"Yes?" 

"Are you up for this?" She asks. 

I nod, and then say, "As long as I don't have to go back to Jakku." 

Leia laughs, and then she puts a gentle hand on my back before saying, "Thank you." 

"For what?" I ask, confused at her kindness. 

"You have been invaluable to the Resistance. Between helping get the map here, helping blow up Starkiller Base... Thank you." 

I feel tears fill my eyes as I think back to Starkiller and what exactly happened on that Force-forsaken base. 

"Rey," Leia says, rubbing my back. "Rey, it's okay. It's over." 

I try to catch my breath and control myself before asking, "Can we talk alone?" 

Leia nods, and leads me to her quarters before sitting next to me. "Okay, talk to me Rey." 

I take a breath and feel tears drip out of my eyes. "More happened on Starkiller than I let on." 

Leia nods, and then she reaches for one of my hands before saying, "Okay. Just let it out Rey, I promise it won't leave this room unless you want it to." 

"Just tell Han. He's the only one I want to know," I begin, holding Leia's hand tightly. "When I first saw Kylo, we were on Naboo, right behind Maz's watering hole. I made Finn and Beebee-Ate go along first, they had the map, I felt like they were more important." 

Leia nods, and she helps me shift into a more comfortable position on the bed. 

"I had... I had tried to prepare myself a little bit for his appearance," I pause a little bit, unsure of whether or not to include the Force Ghost detail about Obi-Wan. 

"It's okay, Rey." 

"The Force Ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi had appeared to me. He told me not to be afraid, that these were my first steps," I reply, taking a steadying breath. "Then, Kylo had appeared. His lightsaber was already on, and I tried to shoot at him, subdue him... it only made him angrier. Finally, after a few minutes, he froze both my shot and me." 

Leia nods, and then gives me a pillow to help prop up my aching leg. "I can see them too," She says. "Force Ghosts, I mean. You're not crazy, I promise."

I smile, but it doesn't reach my eyes. Then, I decide to continue. "He began to look through my head.. at the time, I had never felt anything like it. I wanted desperately to scream, to get someone's attention, but I couldn't. Then, his attention came away from me, and to another stormtrooper. I had heard they were going to arrest Finn, and then I was out." 

Leia smiles at me sadly. "I am so sorry, Rey. What happened after that?"

"I woke up on Starkiller Base," I begin, tears filling my eyes. "He had split me and Finn up. He told me that I was his 'guest.' He said that I could either give up the location or he would make me scream until Finn did." 

Tears fall out of my eyes at the memory, but I continue on. "He undid the restraints, and then got a blaster out. He told me to tell him about the droid, so I began prattling off a bunch of technical details before he shot me."

Leia nods before saying, "It's called burning. Something similar happened to me." 

I squeeze Leia's hand and use it as courage to continue. "I screamed, and if I'm being honest, I'm shocked it was me. I spit in his face after a minute, once I regained my breath.." 

Leia looks at me without judgement in her eyes. "What happened next, Rey?" 

"He went into my head," I begin, my voice heavy with tears. "He made me relive one of the worst nights of my life. I just remember feeling filthy... I pushed that night to the back of my mind, and I had to feel the slavers inside me all over.." I begin sobbing, and Leia pulls me in close and just lets me cry for a few minutes. 

"It's okay," Leia whispers. "You're not there anymore."

I sit back up, and wipe the tears off my face. 

"Do you want to keep going?" She asks. 

I nod, and reply, "You need to know." 

Leia nods, and lets me continue. 

"I was screaming again, and I could register Finn yelling in the next room. I mostly remember yelling at Kylo, 'Get out of my Head!'" 

Leia nods, and then says, "Was Finn just listening?" 

"I had to ask, but he was. He was made to listen.." 

"Okay. Are you sure you want to keep going?" Leia asks. 

"I need to keep going, before I lose my nerve," I reply. Leia chuckles. "He told me he can take whatever he wants. I told him to Go to Hell." 

Leia laughs, but then sobers. "What happened next?" 

"He takes me over to the other side of the room. There was a-another torture rig. He told me that he took no pleasure, but that he had to do this. He, he injected something into me.. I felt like my body was tearing itself apart." 

"Something similar happened to me on the Death Star, with Vader," Leia says. "He tortured me for hours.. I have never known pain like that." 

I nod, and draw enough strength to continue. "He left me like that, and I had to struggle to stay silent. Then, he returned. He told me what _Bavo Six_ was, and then unwrapped my arm wraps," I say, rubbing my arms subconsciously. "He injected me with it, and went through my head again.. It was horrific. I began to cry from trying to resist... He said he could see the island. Then, he found my thoughts about Han. He said he would've disappointed me. I tell him to get out of my head, and he drops it.. Then he tells me I'm too weak to resist everything. And the whole thing begins all over again. He gives me another drug first, which makes me extremely vulerable to suggestion. I felt like my skin was on fire, all because he told me as such, and I believed it." 

"I understand," Leia says, gently putting her hand on my knee. "Did he do anything else?" 

I nod, and continue. "He kept looking through my head... And then Obi-Wan came back. He told me that I am one with the Force. That I _am_ the Force. And then, I was able to look in his head. He withdrew all at once, and then he got the whip out. It was one of those electrical whips.. He lashed me 4 times. It was.. horrible. Then, he threw me into the cell with Finn. He left us for a little bit, and it was ice cold in the cell. I was in nothing but my band and compression shorts. Finn tried to keep me awake, but I went unconscious. When Ren came back, he asked us again. When Finn didn't tell him, he.. he threatened to rape me if Finn didn't tell him. I begged Finn not to tell, that it was okay," I say, tears falling out of my eyes. "So Finn watched as Kylo--" 

Leia rubs my back, and says, "It's okay, It's okay. It's over. You're right here. He can't hurt you."

I cry for a few minutes, and put my head on Leia's shoulder as she rubs my back. 

"I'm sorry," I say once I've regained my composure. 

"Nothing to apologize for," Leia says, rubbing my back. 

I take a deep breath, slightly impeded by the tears and snot before continuing. "Finn watched as Kylo raped me." 

Leia pulls me into an embrace once again, and rubs my back. "I am so sorry Rey. I thought there was good in him," She says. "I am so sorry he put you through that. But you are not there anymore. It wasn't your fault, and I am so grateful you kept the secret safe." 

I nod, and then the door opens to reveal Han. 

"Ever-Oh hey Rey. Everything is loaded up and ready to go. We're just waiting on your go-ahead." Han says. 

Leia smiles, and then gets up. She stands on her tiptoes to give Han a kiss before saying, "Will do," Leia turns to me. "Rey, whenever you and Poe are ready." 

I smile and nod before saying, "I'll talk to Poe." 

* * *

Poe and I are in the cockpit a few hours later, against a still-sunny sky. 

"You ready?" Poe asks. 

I take a deep breath and nod. "As ready as I can be. You've got the course set for Bespin?" 

"Of course," Poe replies with a smirk. 

"Are you two done yet?" Finn asks, coming into the cockpit. 

I laugh, and then turn the engines on to prepare for ascent. "We are now. Get buckled in, Finn." 

"Will do," Finn says. 

"Alright," Poe drawls. "Hitting open space in 10." 

Finn is buckled in now, and I have a grin on my face as Poe and I prep the _Falcon._

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1.. Here we go." 

And we are speeding into open space before I say, "Into hyperspace we go." 


End file.
